The Push
by KryptoniteMistress
Summary: Alma Junior offers Ennis a job at her father-in-laws ranch. This just may be the push he needs in order to start a life with Jack.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Alma Del Mar Jr. (well, that was her maiden name) drove up to her father's trailer to deliver some news and to have a long overdue discussion. She was a little nervous and excited at the same time, and deep down had a feeling it would be productive.

Ennis Del Mar was standing outside to greet her when he heard the engine from her new husband Kurt's car. After they embraced and sat down side, they began idly chatting over coffee. They talked about the wedding and what a good time it was. When the conversation shifted to what her and Kurt had planned for the future, that was when Alma knew her opportunity had knocked. It was now or never.

"Well, that's actually why I came here to talk to you, Daddy," she began to explain. "Kurt's daddy wants to start a ranch down in Cheyenne. We are planning on moving there in a few weeks so he can check on it while he isn't working in the oil field. I got into school there and will be getting into teaching."

Ennis felt a singe of pride for his daughter and beamed. "Well, how 'bout that? My little girl is goin' to college. You always were the brains of the family."

Alma smiled back and continued. "Well, about the ranch…we thought that maybe you would like to move with us and help run it. I know it would make Kurt and his daddy feel a lot better knowin' it was in the hands of someone they could trust."

"Well, I dunno, sweetheart," Ennis responded after a moment's thought. "That's an awful big job for just one fella, 'specially now that I'm not as young as I used to be."

"Well.." here it was, the moment Alma was most anxious about coming. "What if your friend Jack helped you run it?"

Ennis stared at her in shock, unsure how to respond at first. "Junior.. I dunno, he's got a wife and son. I don't think he can…"

"Daddy…I know about the two of you," she cut him off.

Ennis was once again in shock. "Whatddya mean?"

Alma explained. "I was talkin' to Mama right before the wedding. She was helping me with some stuff and we got to talkin' about what it's like to be married. I ended up askin' her what happened between the two of you. She said I was finally old enough to know the truth, so she told me about you and Jack."

Ennis looked at the floor, ashamed to look his own daughter in the face. "Junior, I…"

"You know," Alma continued, "I remember meeting Jack once when I was a little girl. He seemed real nice. And when you saw him…your face lit up, you seemed so happy. I know you were tryin' not to show it, though. Happier than you were with Cassie, which was why I didn't take much to her."

"It was right after your Mama and I got divorced," he explained, still not meeting her in the eyes. "He thought that…that that meant we could have a life together." 

"You still can," Alma encouraged. "Daddy...I don't like the idea of you being sad and alone for the rest of your life. Look, I don't know for sure how you feel about Jack, but what I do know is if he makes you as happy as Kurt makes me, then you both deserve to go for it." She put her hand on his shoulder. "And I know Jenny would feel the same way."

Ennis finally looked up at his daughter. "You turned out alright, Junior. I'm proud of ya."

"Thank you, Daddy. I've gotta head back to get ready for the move. Will you think about what I said?"

"Sure, sweetheart. I'll give ya my answer real soon," he assured her. He definitely gave her a great deal to think about. They both stood up for a good-bye hug, and Ennis walked her to the door and watched her drive away.

Alma had no intention of heading straight home, however. She had acquired the address of a Jack Twist from an old post card she had noticed lying around her father's kitchen. There are two sides to every story, and she was going to Texas to get his.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Alma rang Jack's doorbell with a plan. His wife answered.

"Hi, I'm looking for Jack Twist," she greeted Lureen. "My name is Alma, I'm his friend Ennis's daughter."

"Hang on, I'll go get him," she responded. A few seconds later Jack appeared.

"Hi," he greeted her with a worried expression. "Nice to see ya again. Is everything alright with Ennis?"

"Yes, sir, no emergency or anything like that," she replied. "But I am worried about him. May we talk in private?"

"Sure," he said, and opened the door for her to come in, "And please, call me Jack."

He led her into the kitchen. "My son is at football practice and my wife is upstairs in the office with the door closed workin', so we should be okay in here." He pulled out a chair for her to sit.

"Would you like a glass of water?" he asked. She nodded in response, so he went to get hit for her. "I heard you just got married. Congratulations."

"Thank you, sir…Jack," Alma responded nervously.

Jack handed her the water and sat down in the chair next to her. "So..you said you were worried about Ennis?" he asked her, concerned. "What's goin' on?"

"Well. I just came back from visitin' him," she explained. "And he seems real sad and lonely. It seems that outside of work he doesn't really leave his home. I came to you because I know what has been goin' on between you two, and I thought you may be able to help. You see, I remember meetin' you when I was a little girl and you drove up to our house."

"Yeah," Jack said as his thoughts drifted back to that day so long ago. "I thought since your parents was now divorced your daddy and I may try to have a life together. But, he was always so scared of what other people might think. So it never happened. I was so happy driving to your house that day, but I was never so sad as I was driving back."

Alma was now getting a good idea of the man in front of her, and what he shared with her father. "Jack… do you love my daddy?"

Jack was silent for a second. Of course he did not have to hesitate to think of the answer, for he had known it for nearly twenty years now. But he had never admitted it aloud to anybody, least of all Ennis's own daughter. But, perhaps it would be cathartic to finally get everything out in the open after all this time.

"Yes, I do," he finally spoke up. It was liberating to finally let those feeling out. "I always have. That's why I keep meetin' up with him on Brokeback. It's all I can get of him. And like he said to me before. 'If ya can't fix it, ya gotta stand it'. So I've just always had to accept that that is as good as it's gonna get."

Hearing Jack's words and how much her father meant to him truly warmed her heart and made her smile. "I wish my daddy wasn't so scared," she told him. "You two deserve to be happy."

"Well, that's just life I guess," Jack rebuttled sadly. He hated that he had become this cynical, but he couldn't help it. His life just hadn't turned out the way he had wanted it to.

"I told him the same thing," she informed him. "And that my sister and I would be okay with you two together, because it would make him happy. I think he just needs more of a push."

Jack got an idea. "Well, we haven't talked about our next trip to Brokeback yet. I think it will be real soon, though, 'cause he won't be workin' as much. I'll talk to him about it then, and how all that matters is that all of us our happy, including our kids."

"Thank you, Jack." She did not want to bring up the idea of the ranch to Jack, because she thought it better if her father did. And if he didn't, she did not want Jack to be hurt again by having the hope of a future together dangled in front of him and then taken away.

"Thank you," he replied. "It really means a lot that you came and talked to me, and that you are okay with me and your daddy."

"I hope between the two of us we'll get through that stubborn head of his," she said as they both chuckled.

Alma got up to leave and Jack escorted her to the door.

"I hope I'll be seein' you again real soon," she said to him.

"Same here," he reciprocated. "And thanks again for dropping by."

Once Alma had left, Jack wrote a postcard to Ennis asking to meet up as soon as possible. He knew better than to just drop by at his home, after last time. Ennis needed to not be taken off guard. If all was handled right then, maybe, just maybe, this next trip to Brokeback would not have to end with the usual agonizing good-bye.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Two weeks later, Jack and Ennis were on another trip together up at Brokeback. Jack did not want to let on anything, but he was never one to let hope falter, so he never gave up the notion that this trip would be different than the others.

They had set their tent up and were sitting in the chairs by the lake, enjoying the peace and quiet and the knowledge of the other's presence.

It was Ennis who eventually broke the silence. "Listen, bud..I gotta talk to ya about somethin'..."

_This is it _Jack thought to himself, his heart beginning to race. He couldn't help but smile a little to himself. Was this really happening?

Ennis looked toward the water as he spoke. "I've been thinkin' a lot lately about this thing we got goin' on where we meet up here, and well…I don't wanna do it no more."

And just like that, Jack's heart sank. "Whatddya mean?" he asked, looking straight at Ennis while afraid of the answer.

He then let Ennis explain. "My daughter's new husband Kurt, his daddy's got a ranch he's startin' up down in Cheyenne. He lookin' for a couple of guys to run it. I reckon that could be us."

Jack's heart suddenly began racing again. "Ya mean it?" he asked quietly.

Ennis turned his head to face him. "Yeah, I do," he replied. "Junior came and talked to me…she knows about us. But she and my other daughter are okay with it, they just want us to be happy….I've always wanted a life with you, Jack, but I was always so scared of what other people would think. But now that I know my daughters are okay with it, I'm not as scared anymore."

A smile spread across Jack's face bigger than it had ever been. He all but lunged at Ennis, placing a passionate kiss on his lips. "Ennis Del Mar, you have just made me the happiest man alive." Ennis couldn't help but smile back and pull Jack in for another kiss.

They spent the rest of their trip planning and discussing their future at the ranch. Brokeback had now taken on a different meaning to them, from a place on longing and secrecy to a place of hope and dreams.

The day before their trip came to an end, Jack stood staring at the view of the mountain, taking it in and thanking it and whatever powers that be that it finally was going to give him what he wanted out of life. Ennis then came up from behind him, like he had so many years ago, and pulled him close. Jack smiled and closed his eyes in contentment.

"Remember the last time we stood like this?" Ennis whispered in his ear.

"Mmmhmmm..." Jack moaned happily, still smiling.

"Except, this time, I'm not goin' nowhere," Ennis assured him, also smiling.

They stood that way for a little while, until eventually Ennis shifted positions by turning Jack to face him and putting his hands on his shoulders, causing him to open his eyes.

"Jack, I swear," he began to tell him. "I've always wanted ya, and I'm sorry I was too scared to do somethin' about it before. But I am gonna spend the rest of my life doin' right by ya and givin' ya the life ya deserve." Tears started to well in both of their eyes, though nothing flowed down yet.

Look, I dunno how to make sense of what we got between us. All I know is how I feel. And... I love ya, Jack Fuckin' Twist."

Jack's eyes widened at Ennis's proclamation. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected those words out of Ennis. He had hoped he felt that way, but never wanted to press the issue or expected Ennis to admit it.

"You..you love me?" Jack asked him, still in disbelief.

Ennis nodded. "Somethin' awful. Always have."

The tears began to make their way down Jack's cheeks as the grabbed Ennis's face and kissed him.

"I love ya too, Ennis Del Mar," he stated. "So much it hurts. Always have."

Ennis gave Jack a small smile and pulled him in for another embrace, face-to-face this time because he wasn't afraid of the knowledge of holding Jack anymore.

**THE **END


End file.
